Flights and Families
by falcon-121
Summary: On a flight home, each member of the team reflects on their meaning of family. *One-shot/Song-fic*


**AN: This was an idea that I came up with for the song prompt over the last few days, and I just heard the perfect song for it this morning on the radio. The song is called "Never Gonna Be Alone" by Nickelback. I will be using the full lyrics, so it may be a little longer than the last one. I think you guys will enjoy this one. It involves each character and looks at the show a little differently than we usually do. You'll notice that I'm much more comfortable writing some of them than others, but I tried my best to do each justice. I'm also hoping that it is a little uplifting, considering that the show has been darker recently. For this fic, Haley is still alive, but divorced with Hotch. *DISCLAIMER* I do not own Criminal Minds and I'm borrowing this song. I'm posting this on fanfiction late (it was originally posted on the message boards I'm on), but it was written shortly after the episode "100" aired (hence why I specified Haley still being alive). Alright, here we go…**

Monday morning and the team climbed on to the jet single file and plopped into their seats. They were exhausted after a tiring case that had taken three weeks to close, and the idea of a long flight home wasn't particularly welcoming either. Sure, the Learjet was nice and handy, but it couldn't compare with the comfort of your own mattress. JJ sat across from Hotch and Rossi, while Emily curled up on one of the couches with a book, and Morgan and Reid sat across from each other on the other side of the jet.

_Time, is going by, so much faster than I_

_And I'm starting to regret not spending all of it with you_

_Now I'm wondering why I've kept this bottled inside_

_So I'm starting to regret not selling all of it to you_

_So if I haven't yet, I've gotta let you know_

JJ took out her cell phone and dialed a familiar number. Home. She could picture Will cradling Henry in his arms while talking to him softly. Click.

"Hi JJ," answered Will in his usual New Orleans accent.

"Hi. We'll be home in a few hours!" Despite how tired they all were, her enthusiasm at the thought of being home still shined through.

"Great," he beamed, "You can help me out with Henry. He misses his mama."

"I'd love to," she said. "Is he awake yet?"

"Yep. Little guy's having breakfast with Daddy. Cheerios, his favorite."

JJ smiled at the image of her son eating Cheerios, which he was introduced to about a month ago.

"How much of it is on the floor," she asked. Will laughed.

"He shoves one in his mouth, then drops two. He's got it down to a science."

"We need to get a dog just to clean it up," JJ said with a chuckle. More laughter on the other end.

"Yeah, maybe. So, this case… It was a little longer than usual. You hanging in there ok?"

"I'm ok. I'm completely worn out, but I'm hanging in there. Taking care of Henry hasn't been too rough on you, has it?"

"No, I'm a pro now," he exclaimed, laughing, "Got everything under control! And now that I know that I'm going to get to see you today, that just makes the day that much better!"

"You're such a suck up," she said. Then, more softly, "Thanks, that was really sweet."

"Awwww," Rossi cooed teasingly.

"Oh, can it, Rossi," she shouted with a mock glare.

"Jealously doesn't suit you well, Dave," Hotch piped up. Rossi coughed violently, then grumbled something under his breath. His cheeks turned a slight shade of red. Hotch and JJ looked at each other and tried not to laugh. On the other end, JJ heard Henry starting to cry.

"Is he ok," she asked, concern quickly entering her voice.

"Everything's fine, honey," Will answered, "But I've got to go take care of him. Love you!"

"Love you, too!" Click. JJ had all that she needed. She had his voice, she had the image in her head, and all of a sudden a long flight didn't seem that bad. It seemed like home.

_You're never gonna be alone from this moment on_

_If you ever feel like letting go, I won't let you fall_

_You're never gonna be alone, I'll hold you 'til the hurt is gone_

"Cheerios," Hotch asked as JJ placed her phone in her pocket. She nodded.

"How'd you know?"

"I remember Jack making a mess when he ate them."

"What's his favorite food?"

"He's a Mac and Cheese kid. Just like his dad." He smiled, and his smile was something to behold. So rare, but there was so much sincerity behind it when it came out of hiding. JJ smiled back, blue eyes twinkling brightly.

"You've done well," he continued, "You've found a good way to balance the job and motherhood. You've grown a lot in this past year. I'm proud of you."

JJ blushed a little. She wasn't used to praise.

"Thanks," she said shyly. "It's hard, though. I struggle with it every day. Don't know what I would do without Will, he makes it all easier."

Hotch nodded.

"They're both lucky to have someone like you. We all are."

If she wasn't blushing before, she definitely was now. Time to change the subject.

"How are they," she asked, "Jack and Haley?"

There was a pause.

"Sorry, I don't mean to pry..."

"No, no, not at all. I was just thinking. I haven't seen him in over a month, haven't seen either of them. I was trying to visualize them."

"Hearing a voice helps," she suggested, remembering the phone call she just made. Hotch thought for a bit, then took out his own phone with the smallest of smiles and called up Haley.

_And now, as long as I can, I'm holding on with both hands_

_'Cause forever I believe_

_That there's nothing I could need but you_

_So if I haven't yet, I've gotta let you know_

Emily tried to focus on her book, but she couldn't. She didn't know whether it was pure exhaustion or just distracted thoughts, but the words just kept blending together. She gave up, flipping the paperback closed and shifting onto her left side. Maybe a little nap to pass the time away...

_BUZZZZ!_

Or maybe not. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. A text from... her mother? Her _mother?_ Needless to say, she was shocked. And she wasn't sure whether she even wanted to talk to her mother or not. There was a lot of water under the bridge, and she still didn't feel much of a connection with Ambassador Prentiss. Especially when she hadn't talked to the woman in over three months.

"Oh, why the hell not," she said quietly as she opened the message.

_Hi Emily. I was wondering if you were open for lunch tomorrow. If not, it's ok, but if you are... I just want to see you._

Emily was confused. This was very sudden. Like, fall out of the sky and hit you in the head-type sudden. She typed quickly, but it was hard to think with the pounding headache that she had had for the last two days.

_I don't know, Mom. Is there a particular reason why you want to see me?_

A few seconds later, another buzz.

_I'm just tired of not having a relationship with my daughter. I want to see you. I want to talk to you. But again, you don't have to if you don't want to._

Emily sighed. She would usually argue with her mother about why she hadn't wanted to be there when she was a struggling teenager, why she hadn't been there her whole life, but she didn't have the energy.

_Ok. I have tomorrow off. You pick the place and I'll meet you there at 1:30._

She flipped her phone shut and closed her eyes. She had always been quick to admit that her relationship with her mother wasn't the best. Her mother had often neglected her in order to do her job, which never sat right with Emily. Yet, at the same time, she had never been able to completely give up hope on her mom. After all, the woman did have a heart, and right when Emily thought that she'd gotten over it, her mom would do something that would make her wish that they were closer than they were. Maybe lunch would be a good thing, maybe it would be a start. But for now, just grabbing some sleep was good enough for Emily, and she drifted off rather quickly.

_You're never gonna be alone from this moment on_

_If you ever feel like letting go, I won't let you fall_

_When all hope is gone, I know that you can carry on_

_We're gonna see the world out, I'll hold you 'til the hurt is gone_

Rossi had delved into his own thoughts as Hotch talked to his family. He recalled his marriages. There had been many, and they had all gone horribly wrong in some way or another. Some of the failures were his fault. Ok, all but one of them was his fault. His second wife was a complete psycho, and there was no way that he was blaming himself for that train wreck.

He thought about Emma. The proverbial "one that got away." He wondered what could have been. It was all in the past now, but that didn't stop him from thinking it. She was perfect, always had been. He probably would never be entirely over it, even though she had been buried long ago. They could have had children, a family. He could have had what JJ had or what Hotch had. But it didn't work out like that. For some reason, the relationship crashed and burned. As he sifted through the ashes yet again, he thought that maybe he was just meant to be a loner.

But then he gave it a second thought. Despite giving off the loner vibe, he couldn't be further from it. He looked around the jet, at what he already had. Five people in the jet, one waiting in a colorful cubby back in Quantico. People that cared for him, had his back, supported him no matter how bad things got. They did more for him than any of his ex-wives, and maybe, just maybe, even Emma. He had a family, and they were sitting right here on this jet. Talking, laughing, enjoying each others company. And the best thing was that he wouldn't lose that. Sure, maybe it wasn't exactly what Hotch or JJ had, but it wasn't too shabby, either.

_Oh you've gotta live every single day_

_Like it's the only one, what if tomorrow never comes?_

_Don't let it slip away, could be our only one_

_You know it's only just begun, every single day_

_Maybe our only one, what if tomorrow never comes?_

_Tomorrow never comes_

Tuck away in a cubby that resembled the room of a five-year-old girl, Penelope Garcia grinned. All of her babies were coming home, and she couldn't be happier. She wished they could be there every day, but alas they couldn't. As a result, she had vowed to herself long ago to take advantage of every moment she had with them. She wanted to fill their lives with joy and laughter, to guarantee that they didn't get so consumed with evil that they forgot all the good in the world. Today was no exception. In fact, she was just preparing to leave her office so that she could meet them at the airport. However, she wasn't aware of the man standing outside her office.

Kevin Lynch paced back and forth in the hallway outside Garcia's office. Boy, was he nervous. Kevin wasn't a bold man. Far from it, actually. He was a man that liked to think through his decisions, and he definitely didn't enjoy taking risks. But love didn't work that way. Love made you do crazy things, and you weren't going to get far if you didn't take a risk every now and then. So there he was, pacing and fumbling with something in his pocket, trying to calm his nerve. He flipped the box around in his pocket, trying to visualize her reaction when he was ready. He had planned this moment ever since he laid eyes on Garcia, and tonight was the night. Tonight was going to be perfect.

Right when Kevin had finally decided to come in, Garcia came barreling out. They bumped into each other in the doorframe, apologized, then laughed and hugged.

"Where are you off to," he asked.

"The airport," she answered, "My babies have been working hard, and they deserve to see a smiling face when they arrive."

"Mind if I come with," he asked.

"Sure," she said, "I could use some burnin' love on the way to keep me entertained."

Kevin chuckled, and they walked out to her car. As she started the engine, he spoke.

"I made dinner reservations tonight. Have you been to that fancy Italian restaurant downtown before?"

"Gustare," she asked, "No, I haven't."

"Great," Kevin said with a grin, "I was thinking... You and me, bottle of wine, delicious food. Just the two of us."

"Ooo, I like the way you think, signore," she said saucily, licking her lips. "What time?"

"I made reservations at 7, so I could pick you up at your place at 6:30."

"Fantastic," Garcia said, enthusiasm written all over her face. What could be better than having her team back and having a hot date that evening with her boyfriend? Kevin smiled to himself. She didn't suspect a thing, which was perfect. He wanted her to be surprised, and he was sure she would be now. He couldn't wait.

_Time is going by so much faster than I_

_And I'm starting to regret not telling all of this to you_

Reid put the pen down on the table and looked at the finished product. It was shorter than usual, but that was ok. What it lacked in quantity it made up for in quantity.

_Dear Mom,_

_Hope you are well! How is everything going in Las Vegas?_

_We caught him! We've been in Chicago for three weeks working non-stop and we are beyond tired, but we finally got him. I'm writing to you from our Learjet right now. Everyone is ok, we are all excited to go home. _

_I asked Hotch for a few days of vacation. He said I could take a few days off next week. I'm going to come see you. It has been a while, and I miss you. I have a lot to talk to you about. So much has happened here since the last time I've seen you. I won't spoil all of the stories by saying them in this letter, because I want to be able to tell you in person. However, I'm looking forward to seeing you next week! I'll be coming on Monday and staying until Wednesday._

_I love you,_

_Spencer_

Reid smiled sadly. He still felt guilty about how he treated his mom, but he was slowly coming to terms with it. And now he realized that no matter what, his mom loved him and always would. He clung to that knowledge more than any statistic or theory. That little bit of knowledge made his darkest days a little brighter.

_You're never gonna be alone from this moment on_

_If you ever feel like letting go, I won't let you fall_

_When all hope is gone, I know that you can carry on_

_We're gonna see the world out, I'll hold you 'til the hurt is gone_

_Happy birthday to ya'..._

Morgan smiled at the memory of his mom's birthday. He had decided long ago to ignore the fact that he was wrongfully arrested that night. He didn't get enough time with his family to focus on that sort of thing. He missed them. The team was a second family to him, and he loved being with them, but he wished that he had a little more free time to visit Chicago. Despite all that had happened there during his life, it was his home and the Windy City was good for his soul.

His signature mega-watt grin flashed as he thought of his two sisters, and he chuckled a bit to himself. Oh, how he missed Sarah and Desirée. One minute, they were relentlessly picking on him. The next, they were fiercely defending him. That was what having siblings was all about. You fight, tease, misbehave, but at the end of the day you have each others' backs.

Family was the driving force behind Derek Morgan's life. It transcended everything else. Ambition, religion, money, none of it could compare to family. He viewed himself as blessed, because he had been given more than one family. He had his first family, who he would give his life for in a heartbeat, but he had also found a second family in his job. How many people were that lucky? He had found a little bro in Reid that he never had, and a father figure in Hotch that he had lost long ago. JJ and Emily were his office version of Sarah and Desirée, and Rossi served as a great mentor. And then there was Garcia. He had described Garcia as his God-given solace, and he still felt that those were the only words powerful enough to describe her. He slept a little easier at night knowing that both of his families were still in tact and safe.

_I'm gonna be there always_

_I won't be missing a word all day_

_I'm gonna be there always_

_I won't be missing a word all day_

The jet landed and the team was greeted by Garcia's smiling face as soon as the hatch opened. If only every day could be like this. Unfortunately it couldn't, and they all knew that, but today they didn't care. Today they were going to live in the moment, because they never knew how many more of these days they would get in life.

**AN: Doesn't have a title right now, so feel free to suggest one if you like. Love it or hate it? Corny or just right? Let me know. Also, if you have suggestions for a particular part or character (since this thing is so long), feel free to give it to me. I appreciate the constructive criticism, it helps me improve. Also, sorry, I know it is a little lengthy. Hard to cover each character in one chapter. **


End file.
